When the Berlin Wall fell in late 1989, and the Soviet Union crumbled, books about liberty in Eastern European languages were non-existent. A few passionate liberty-lovers rectified this by spending their free time translating pivotal freedom-oriented books into their native languages.

Valentina Nicolaie was one of those intrepid individuals. She translated Healing Our World and several other important books into her native language (Anthem, by Ayn Rand; The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible by Ken Schoolland; La liberte – deux ou trois choses que je connais d elle by Christian Michel, and Defending the Undefendable, by Walter Block). Finally, Romanians could learn about freedom’s benefits in their own language! Valentina received little or no compensation for this monumental work.

Now Valentina needs our help. She has metastatic breast cancer and wasn’t able to withstand the recommended chemotherapy. Valentina has turned instead to alternative methods, such as high dose Vitamin C infusions, but, as in the U.S., she’ll need to pay out of her own pocket.

Liberty International, formerly International Society for Individual Liberty, is raising funds to help Valentina. She was awarded the Bruce Evoy Memorial Award in 2001 for her dedicated service to liberty under trying conditions in her country. Your contribution towards her medical fund is tax-deductible.

Best of all, EVERY contributor will receive a PDF of Valentina’s Romanian translation of the 1992 edition of Healing Our World to share with any Romanians that you might know. Donors who contribute $25 or more will also get a Kindle, ePub, and PDF of the 2015 English edition of Healing, which sells on www.ruwart.com for $9.99. Please note: You will receive the complimentary copies via e-mail August 20.

Liberty International is raising funds to help impoverished Indian farmers and villagers gain clear title to the lands that they have homesteaded. Without secure title, their government can drive them off their land for the benefit of the elite. Securing their land rights not only prevents government-sanctioned land grabs, but greatly enriches the poor. Clear title makes them land owners instead of squatters. Click here to help them!

Hundreds of thousands of desperately poor, subsistence farmers in India now urgently need help to protect their land and their lives. Thousands of small farms and forest villages, where native Indians have lived sustainably for centuries, are being stolen by corrupt corporations and government officials, using increasingly brutal tactics.

It’s a land grab of epic scale and epic inhumanity.

In the last six months, the situation has become critical: Without our help, thousands will soon be homeless and destitute, or worse. Everything these poor people have is at risk, including their lives and way of life. Once their land is taken, it’s gone forever.

Liberty International is rushing to their aid. Our goal of $400,000 will enable us to protect land and lives in 200 native villages. Over 100,000 native Indians in over 250 villages have already been helped by Liberty Institute and ARCH teams we are working with in India. (ARCH: the Action Research in Community Health & Development, India). But for every Indian villager who has been saved, dozens more remain in danger.

Thousands of native lives saved

Over the last few decades, India’s land rights movement has dramatically transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of poor, native Indians – protecting their land, their homes, and their lives.

Trupti Mehta of ARCH (India) explains that before the land rights movement:

“The people lived in squalor. They hovered around the fire in bitter cold winter for lack of clothing, blankets, and shelter. They scrounged for roots to eat. Their huts were straw and demolished at the whim of Forestry officials.” They “were constantly beaten by officials and the local police. Forestry officials would fine them, force them to do labor for the government, wreck their homes and fields, seize their livestock.”

To stop these outrages, Liberty International is working with Liberty Institute and ARCH land rights teams in India using hand-held GPS units to register their land, and legal teams to defend their rights.

With secure land titles, villagers are protected from forced labor and the confiscation of their produce, homes and livestock. For poor Indian farmers, secure land rights have made the difference between extreme poverty and economic security . . . starvation and plentiful food . . . and even life and death.

You can help make the difference between desperate poverty and prosperity for thousands! Your support for Liberty International’s India Land Rights Initiative will help secure land rights and end poverty for thousands of poor villagers and farmers.

Technical, legal and other costs average $2,000 a village to train villagers, use GPS to register property, teach them to non-violently stand up for their land rights, and legally protect their land.

Please contribute whatever you can to Liberty International’s Emergency India Land Rights Intervention. Every dollar counts. A small donation now can literally help change the course of a nation.

For U.S. contributors, donations are 100% tax deductible. Liberty International is a 501(c )(3) nonprofit organization. Help us save thousands of desperately poor Indians and change the course of a nation. Click here to donate whatever you can.

Liberty lost a great champion today when Lee Wrights passed away just a few months shy of his 59th birthday. Lee, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, spent decades as a libertarian activist and journalist.

After college degrees in history and journalism, Lee became a contributing editor for the Eagle News, a monthly political news and commentary newspaper in Forsyth County. Wrights founded Liberty for All with J. Michael Bragg in 2000, a free speech publication with the motto “Let Your Voice Be Heard” which claimed “no one is turned away and no one is censored.”

In 2001, Wrights became an editor of Free Market Daily, an e-mail newsletter. A year later, he helped to found the Rational Review News Digest, a daily web and email-based news and commentary roundup. From 2005 to 2008, Wrights worked as editor of the Choice Channel for the International Society for Individual Liberty, now Liberty International.

Wrights has been active in local, state and national Libertarian Party organizations since 2000 and is a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party (LP). He has served as secretary and chair of the Libertarian Party of Forsyth County, N.C. and was vice chair of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC) for seven years. He also served as the LPNC ballot access director for two years.

Wrights served twice as the Vice Chair of Libertarian National Committee (LNC), and an at-large member. He was a member of the LNC’s platform committee and judicial committee as well. Lee chaired the Burnet County LP of Texas and was the Senate District 24 representative to the Texas LP State Executive Committee. In 2008, Wrights was my campaign manager when I ran for the 2008 presidential nomination for the LP; in 2010, he managed my campaign for Texas State Comptroller.

Wrights was also the president of the Foundation for a Free Society, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the principles of liberty, personal sovereignty, private property, and free markets.

Lee ran for the 2012 presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party with the goal of stopping all war, referring not only to war with foreign nations, but also to war on the American people and their civil liberties waged by the U.S. government. Wrights was defeated by former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson.

For the past few years, Lee has handled several libertarian Facebook pages, including my own. He has inspired friends and fans with his trademark “Reddpaw” memes.

Lee leaves behind supporters from all over the world, as well as his two daughters, parents, brothers and sisters, and other family. He will be sorely missed by his close friends who love him dearly, myself included.

Valentine’s Day is made for lovers. I like to think that those who love liberty are some of the best lovers of all.

Real lovers won’t try to coerce you, manipulate you, or try to take your stuff. Real lovers care enough to give you the very best—freedom of choice.

Many people think that lovers of liberty are cold and uncaring, because they don’t support government intervention and taxation. Just the opposite is true.

Those who love liberty are championing the free market, which has lifted millions out of abject poverty. Those who love liberty know that property rights provide the best environmental protection. Those who love liberty understand that restitution, rather than incarceration, can heal the wounds caused by aggression. Those who love liberty realize that dismissing civilian casualties from our bombing overseas by calling them “collateral damage” is beyond cruel.

The words of love come easily to our lips, but actions speak so much louder. Today, I want to personally thank you for loving others enough to honor their choices.

Secrets to Preventing and Treating Disease in the Ever-Changing U.S. Health Care Landscape

Without your health, it’s tough to live a happy, fulfilled life. With the changes in Obamacare, soaring pharmaceutical prices, and the regulatory pressures that favor treatment over prevention, our health is at risk. This one-day program on March 11, 2017, will inform you of little known changes in recent legislation and scientific knowledge that can help you not only survive, but thrive.

John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods and Conscious Capitalism, will share his ideas on nutrition, supplements, and other aspects of healthy living. He’ll help you take responsibility for your part in keeping your body “whole.”

Starlee Coleman from the Goldwater Institute will be sharing the exciting new Right to Try legislation sweeping the nation state by state. Right to Try allows the terminally ill to bypass the FDA for access to cutting edge therapies. If you or your loved ones are threatened by a deadly disease, it may help you get tomorrow’s cures today!

Sally Pipes from the Pacific Research Institute will be updating us on the negative impact of Obamacare, an update on its repeal and replacement. Following Trump’s presidential victory, she will be updating us on the latest developments in the battle for repeal and replacement of Obamacare. She will discuss her plan on the best way to achieve affordable, accessible, quality care for all Americans, and some workarounds to get you and your loved ones the best health care possible. This information could save you money and your life!

Dr. Mary Ruwart, Chair of Liberty International, shares her experience with the FDA, how it keeps life-saving information and medications from the American public, and how to find out where to go to get them. Some tests are even available right here in the U.S.—like blood tests for detecting cancer before scans can even see it—but your family doctor probably doesn’t even know about them.

Dr. Kyle Varner will share his experiences and tips for finding quality medical care outside of the United States, where it can be had for a fraction of the U.S. cost. “Medical tourism” is on the rise, because many cutting edge procedures are ONLY available offshore. Learn how you can get the best medical care that the world has to offer, instead of limiting yourself only to what the FDA and other government agencies approve.

The event will take place at the Wyndham Garden Hotel Austin, 3401 South IH-35, Austin, TX 78741, from 10 AM until 4 PM on March 11, 2017. A delicious, nutritious lunch will be provided!

Early bird special is just $45 until February 1 and goes to $55 after that. Student rate is $25.

Many of you have been asking me for digital versions of Healing Our Worldand Short Answers. Not only are these now available at www.ruwart.com, but you can get a package discount when you buy a digital book along with a print version. Just click on the name of the book in the first sentence of this post to go directly to the special page for each one.

Since Christmas is just around the corner, you can keep the version you prefer for yourself and give someone else the gift of liberty too! If you want to give several copies of the printed book to friends and family, you can get discounts for multiple copies there too!

Liberty International, formerly the International Society for Individual Liberty, is hosting a one day event in Austin, Texas, to update you on the health care crisis brought on by our government. More importantly, you’ll learn about changes in recent legislation and scientific knowledge that can help you not only survive, but thrive.

Sally Pipes from the Pacific Research Institute will be updating us on the the negative impact of Obamacare on all Americans and the ongoing legal challenges that will hopefully derail it.

John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods and Conscious Capitalism, will share his ideas on nutrition, supplements, and other aspects of healthy living.I’ll be speaking about the FDA, how it’s thwarting scientific progress, and what you need to do to protect yourself.

Starlee Coleman from the Goldwater Institute will be sharing the exciting new Right to Try legislation sweeping the nation state by state. Right to Try allows the terminally ill to bypass the FDA for access to cutting edge therapies.

We are expecting other speakers to join us as well, so please save the date March 11. The event will be held in Austin, Texas. For more details, click here or check out our Facebook event page!

Liberty International, formerly the International Society for Individual Liberty, is hosting a one day event in Austin, Texas, to update you on the health care crisis brought on by our government. More importantly, you’ll learn about changes in recent legislation and scientific knowledge that can help you not only survive, but thrive.

John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods and Conscious Capitalism, will share his ideas on nutrition, supplements, and other aspects of healthy living.I’ll be speaking about the FDA, how it’s thwarting scientific progress, and what you need to do to protect yourself.

Sally Pipes from the Pacific Research Institute will be updating us on the the negative impact of Obamacare on all Americans and the ongoing legal challenges that will hopefully derail it.

Starlee Coleman from the Goldwater Institute will be sharing the exciting new Right to Try legislation sweeping the nation state by state. Right to Try allows the terminally ill to bypass the FDA for access to cutting edge therapies.

We are expecting other speakers to join us as well, so please save the date March 11. The event will be held in Austin, Texas. For more details, click here.

Last October, Sanofi withdrew Epi-Pen’s last true competitor, Auvi-Q, from the market after some suspected device malfunctions. Without competition, Mylan, which acquired the Epi-Pen in 2007, when it was selling for around $57, raised their prices to $600 for a 2-pack. I was actually quoted $800 at my pharmacy.

Teva had submitted an application for a generic version of the Epi-Pen to the FDA. However, the agency felt “certain major deficiencies” needed to be addressed. Marketing of Epi-Pen’s new competitor will be delayed until at least 2017.

Adamis wants to market a syringe prefilled with epinephrine, the active drug in the Epi-Pen. Some diabetics must inject themselves with insulin, so use of a syringe, rather than an Epi-Pen-like device, is not unprecedented. The FDA wouldn’t approve it without more studies on patient usability and product stress testing. Mylan is protected from still another competitor by regulatory delays.

In theory at least, your compounding pharmacist might be able to prepare epinephrine-filled syringes for you. However, your doctor will have to prescribe them; once the Adamis syringe is approved, compounding pharmacists will be forbidden by FDA regulations from preparing them anymore. The syringe might be a bit more difficult to use, especially for children trying to cope in an emergency, so this option isn’t for everyone.

In the meantime, consumers are usually unaware that there is still another, less expensive alternative. Adrenaclick is similar to, but not identical with, the Epi-Pen and is available for a fraction of the price. If you decide to try it, be sure and become familiar with it: it has two caps that need to be removed instead of Epi-Pen’s one.

However, the FDA won’t let your pharmacist substitute Adrenaclick unless your doctor re-writes your prescription. The FDA isn’t sure that you’ll get the exact same blood levels of epinephrine, even though the dose is the same. Your doctor will have to specify Adrenaclick on your prescription or your pharmacist can’t fill it.

Competition is the greatest price regulator of all. Without it, Mylan has a virtual monopoly on a life-saving device; about 40% of its profits come from the Epi-Pen. The $1.2 billion in 2015 sales from this product should have encouraged other companies to rush to market with an imitator; epinephrine is cheap and off patent, even though the Epi-Pen itself is patent-protected.

However, the average generic drug takes about 3 years or so to wend its way through the FDA approval process. Devices generally take even longer. In the meantime, Mylan can pretty much charge what they want.

Critics of the pharmaceutical companies will use the Epi-Pen price hike as another example of corporate greed—and so it is. However, the real culprit here is the FDA, which has delayed or killed Mylan’s competition. The recent price hike only happened after Auvi-Q was withdrawn and Sanofi decided not to dump it. Competition keeps corporate greed in check better than any form of legislative price control, which has deadly side effects of its own.

The big casualty of price-fixing by government is less innovation. Countries that try to keep drug prices down through regulation end up delaying or denying their citizenry access to new, life-saving drugs. People in other countries might not pay as much money for the drugs they get, but their loss of access can cost them their very lives.

Surprisingly, the marketplace punished Mylan for its price gouging on the life-saving Epi-Pen, even though that strategy would have increased profits to investors. Their stock price fell about 9% last week for a loss of $3 billion. Mylan tried to stop the stock from dropping further by giving $300 coupons to out-of-pocket buyers, but the stock has not recovered. Even though corporate greed is a real phenomenon, social conscience is too.

Sadly, we can expect to see the cost of other generic drugs and devices soar in the future. In 2000, the FDA intensified its Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) demands. Companies had to upgrade their equipment, even if was working perfectly, and were fined for any violations in record keeping. The FDA didn’t find any product problems during these inspections, just failure to check its multitude of regulatory boxes.

When faced with new FDA manufacturing demands, some companies chose to abandon products that were older and brought in low revenue instead of making expensive upgrades. As the number of competitors dwindles, expect to see more generic drugs become unaffordable—courtesy of the FDA.

Liberty International, formerly the International Society for Individual Liberty, is hosting a one day event in Austin, Texas, to update you on the health care crisis brought on by our government. More importantly, you’ll learn about changes in recent legislation and scientific knowledge that can help you not only survive, but thrive.

I’ll be speaking about the FDA, how it’s thwarting scientific progress, and what needs to be done to stop it.

Starlee Coleman from the Goldwater Institute will be sharing the exciting new Right to Try legislation sweeping the nation state by state. Right to Try allows the terminally ill to bypass the FDA for access to cutting edge therapies.

Sally Pipes from the Pacific Research Institute will be updating us on the the negative impact of Obamacare on all Americans and the ongoing legal challenges that will hopefully derail it.